The Wrath of Fate by "Captain" Robert Brown

There will come a time...

When freedom is considered too dangerous. Cities are walled, and citizens are chained to round-the-clock jobs to keep them controlled. Change and progress are outlawed.

There will come a time...
When clockworks wake up, only to find they are not allowed to be awake. They hide in fear, not daring to break their chains of slavery.

There will come a time...
When freedom is outlawed. The last free people must scrape a living in the dirt of the prairies, or in the skies above them. These hardened men and women fight for their lives and their freedom against beasts of the plains, police in the cities, and pirates in the sky. When freedom is outlawed, only the outlaws are free.

This time will come, and it will be my fault. 

Sorry about that

Book Description

Every once in a while there is a book that both Darkiss and I both want to review, and “The Wrath of Fate” by Captain Robert Brown is one of those books. This review will be divided into two parts, the first being from Darkiss and the second mine….Enjoy!

Darkiss

I have had mixed feeling about reviewing this novel. Steampunk is a passion of mine and it was the band Abney Park that led me into this genre. For those not familiar with Abney Park, they are a Steampunk band, but they have become so much more. They are a leading light in the Steampunk sub-culture, their music which is an eclectic mix of styles is all wrapped up in the identity of Airship Pirates. No Steampunk event is truly complete without an appearance by the band and they produce their own range of merchandise and even sell their own Steampunk themed role-playing game.

Now Robert H Brown, otherwise known as Captain Robert, lead singer and creative force behind the Abney Park phenomenon, has written a Steampunk novel. And here lies my mixed feelings. I have so looked forward to this book while at the same time dreading it. Captain Robert is a talented singer/song writer/entrepreneur, what are the chances of him also being a talented writer. Reading this book as a reviewer instead of as a fan means I will be more critical of it than if I was reading it for pleasure alone. It is no easy task to give an honest review of something that I am already a fan of. Also, would I be disappointed in this venture and if so would the mystique that is Abney Park be tarnished? In the end all that I can do is give an honest representation of my feelings and thoughts on the book. After all that is the limit any reviewer is under.

So what are my thoughts on this book........

Well my fears were unfounded. It would seem that Captain Robert’s talents know no bounds. This is a thoroughly enjoyable jaunt through the Steampunk imaginings of a highly creative mind.

The story is divided into two main parts, the first of which see Captain Robert, Kristina his wife and the crew of the Ophelia travel through time with unexpected results. Then the second part of the story sees the Captain Robert and co settle down into the various roles while dealing with a world they helped to create.

At first look this novel would just seem like nothing more than an adventure novel designed to keep you on the edge of your seat turning page after page. But a deeper look at the story shows the author has things to say and issues to raise about the world we live in and the priorities that our society force feeds us. This is a common theme we also see in Robert’s song writing. Often issues of real world significance are explored in the realm of Steampunk. This same trait can be seen here within The Wrath of Fate. It is skilfully executed and in no way distracts from the storyline or the pace of events. In fact I read this book in one sitting and was left wanting more.

Apart from a few chapters at the beginning of the book, the story is told through the perspective of Captain Robert himself. Here is my only criticism of the book and it’s only really a minor one. I was left wanting more depth to all the supporting characters in the novel, this is especially true of Kristina. She follows Robert throughout his adventures and we rarely discover her take or thoughts. But as this is hopefully the start of the HMS Ophelia’s story then I am sure that we will read more of all the supporting cast.

Throughout the book are wonderfully enchanting black and white illustrations which definitely add something to the reading experience. I was worried that they would be left out of the Kindle edition, but thankfully they are present.

Much of the storyline connect seamlessly with the music of Abney Park with many of their song lyrics appearing within the narrative. This means that you can add a sound track to reading experience. If you have not heard the music of Abney Park then hopefully this will pique your interest enough to go out and explore the bands offerings.

If you are a fan of Abney Park or Steampunk then this book is a must read. For those who are unfamiliar with Abney Park or have not explored the worlds of Steampunk then this is highly recommended. I liked this so much that although I have a copy of the book kindly sent to us by Captain Robert himself to review, I have purchased another copy for my Kindle so that I have it with me whenever I need a literary pick me up.

I award this an excellent 5 stars

                                           5 Stars! 

Witchofthemists

Abney Park was my first exposure to the genre of Steampunk, their music captivated and inspired my imagination and has become ingrained into my inner soundtrack as I move throughout my days. So when I heard that Captain Robert had written a book I could hardly contain my excitement.

“The Wrath of Fates” is a fantastic time travel Steampunk adventure that blends history and science fiction in a very unique way. The story follows Captain Robert Brown and his wife Kristina as they find themselves aboard the HMS Ophelia in a very chaotic situation. Taking control Captain Robert leads the HMS Ophelia and its crew on an epic journey through time and back again.

The tale is written from the point of view of Captain Robert, which gives the reader a glimpse into the workings of his mind and the motives behind the decisions that he makes. We see his confidence grow as he takes on the role of Captain and the struggles that he and his crew face with each adventure. One of the things I found myself wanting a bit more depth to the crew of the HMS Ophelia, there some very colorful characters that I wanted more of.  As this is book one in “The Airship Pirate Chronicles” then I am sure we will see the supporting characters fleshed out a bit more.

As a fan of Abney Park, I was thrilled to see how cleverly Captain Robert blended the music of Abney Park and the storyline of the book. This was the first time reading a book that I found myself singing as I read, for me this was a unique experience.  Abney Park’s music is the perfect background for this swashbuckling adventure!

As if the book didn’t need anything else to make better, the illustrations by Juan Pablo Valdecantos Anfuso are just amazing and add another layer of creativity to this tale, which go hand in hand with the music and writing of Captain Robert Brown.

All in all this book that Abney Park fans will devour, and a  MUST read for those who are fans of the Steampunk Genre as well as those who love a good old fashioned adventure story.  I for one am looking forward to reading more from Captain Robert and his adventures aboard the HMS Ophelia. I give this book 5 stars!  

                                           5 Stars!

The Wrath of Fate - Chapter 1 - Read by Captain Robert Brown 

The Wrath of Fate Chapter 1 - Read by Captain Robert Brown 

You may purchase "The Wrath of Fate" here : DarkissReads Bookstore

You may find Captain Robert and Abney Park here : 

http://www.abneypark.com/

http://airshippirates.abneypark.com/index.html